Chapter 16 #2
The space was an odd mix of modern and period.
The ancient blackened Aga stood against the exposed brick wall by the fireplace, contrasting with the American-sized fridge-freezer next to it.
The solid oak table filling the centre dated back to the seventeen hundreds, and combined with modern utensils and appliances, it made for an eccentric room.
‘I had to douse myself in body lotion to erase the smell of algae,’ she said, seating herself on a breakfast stool by the table. ‘I hope Virginia won’t mind me using her toiletries.’
Danny added tomatoes to the saucepan, trying not to imagine Elena smothering herself in body lotion. ‘She said use anything you needed, so don’t worry.’
She rested her elbows on the table. ‘Where is everyone? It’s eerily quiet.’
‘Village pub. They showered downstairs before heading off.’ He reached for the olives. ‘Enjoy the quiet, give it a couple of hours and they’ll be back here, loud and demanding, and most likely plastered.’
Elena smiled. ‘Connor too?’
‘He’ll have a couple of beers.’ Danny stirred the sauce. ‘He’s never been a big drinker, less so since he’s been on medication. Alcohol doesn’t mix with anti-depressants, and he becomes very morose.’
Elena looked concerned. ‘Do you need to be with him?’
The kettle boiled and Danny poured hot water into a pan. ‘Hugh’s with him, he’ll make sure he’s okay. Connor knows drinking isn’t a great idea, so he’ll monitor himself. He’s sensible like that. Self-aware, his counsellor says.’
Elena rested her chin on her hands, the sleeves of her fleece covering her fingers. ‘A lot of people are resistant to getting help, so the fact he’s seeing a counsellor and taking medication is a definite positive.’
Danny added pasta to the boiling water. ‘That’s what Hugh keeps telling me.
He’s doing everything he can to get better, and I need to be more positive and not hover around him all the time.
Hugh says it puts too much pressure on him, and I need to give Connor space to work through his issues and just be there when he needs me. ’
‘Which is fine in theory, but not so easy to do in practice.’
‘Exactly.’ He liked that she understood, she was very emotionally intuitive, as Hugh would say.
Danny gave the sauce a stir and came over to the join Elena at the table.
‘I’m sometimes guilty of making the situation more intense than it needs to be, so I’m making a concerted effort to keep my distance.
’ He set the timer on his phone for three minutes.
‘Hence why I’m here cooking for you and not at the pub. ’
‘For which I’m very grateful, it smells delicious. And don’t be too hard on yourself, it’s an impossible situation to get right. Believe me, I know.’
‘Wine?’ When Elena nodded, Danny poured two glasses. ‘Your sister?’
‘If we do too much for her, we’re accused of mollycoddling.
If we back off, then we’re not there for her.
’ She took a sip of wine and rolled her eyes.
‘We never get it right, and we’ve been trying for years.
You learn to go with the flow and not take anything to heart.
Luisa’s dealing with something the rest of us will never understand, so if she gets angry, or upset, or unreasonable, so be it.
She needs someone to take out her frustrations on, and as her family, it falls to us to take the brunt.
I believe it’s what they call unconditional love. ’
Danny nodded. ‘Tell me about it.’
‘Doesn’t mean I don’t want to pummel her with a pillow sometimes. She drives me bloody crazy.’
Danny laughed. The timer sounded on his phone and he got up to drain the pasta. He was aware of Elena watching him as he stirred in the sauce and grated parmesan cheese on top. Having wiped the rim, he added a sprig of basil and placed the bowl in front of Elena. ‘Hope it’s not too spicy for you.’
‘I’m half Colombian, spice is my thing.’ She pushed her sleeves up and looked appreciatively at the bowl of food. ‘It smells delicious, and it looks like something served in a restaurant. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.’
He searched out cutlery. ‘Why does that sound like a criticism?’
‘I’m just teasing,’ she said, with a smile. ‘I’m envious, really. My food tastes okay but looks a mess. I’ve never mastered presentation. This dish is as pristine as one of your designer suits.’
He handed her a fork. ‘Funny.’
She took a bite of food, her face failing to hide her enjoyment.
He felt smug. ‘Good?’
‘Very good. I’m getting a nice hit from the chilli. Okay, I take it back, there’s nothing bland about this dish. It’s delightfully hot.’ She winked at him and took another bite.
He tasted the sauce, pleased with the seasoning. ‘Still think I’m a boring suit?’
‘I’ll admit you have layers.’ She took another mouthful, her eyes fluttering closed with delight, which gave him a stupidly warm feeling.
It shouldn’t matter that she liked his cooking, but it did.
‘You’re a man of many talents, I stand corrected.
’ Her smile turned mischievous. ‘Still think I’m a drama queen? ’
He lowered his glass. ‘I never called you that.’
She laughed. ‘It’s what you implied.’
‘Maybe, but not without good reason. You’re very …’
She waited, one eyebrow lifted. ‘Choose your words carefully,’ she warned, pointing her fork at him. ‘I’m armed, remember?’
‘My point proven. Threatening me with a fork.’
Smiling, she returned to eating. ‘I’m only dangerous when provoked.’
‘And I seem to provoke you without even trying.’
‘True.’ She seemed to think about this. ‘Although, not so much anymore. I didn’t understand you before, I do now. I may have been a little quick to judge.’
‘Oh, you think?’
‘Just as you judged me. So come on, what were you going to call me.’ She took another bite of pasta, washing it down with a hearty glug of wine. ‘You started to say, “You’re very …”? Very what? What am I?’
‘Gorgeous.’ It was out of his mouth before he could sense-check his answer. He wanted to slap himself.
Thankfully, she didn’t believe him. ‘Liar. That’s not what you were going to say.’
‘I’m not lying. You are gorgeous. And quirky, and thoughtful, and I like spending time with you. No one’s more surprised than I am.’ It was more than he’d intended to reveal, and he shut up when he saw the shocked expression on her face.
Her fork was paused halfway to her mouth.
He’d overstepped, exposed his feelings and needed to backtrack. ‘Of course, you’re also combative, coercive, and terrible at steering boats, but no one’s perfect.’
She resumed chewing on her pasta. ‘I guess we were both wrong.’
He got up, unsure how to erase the sudden tension filling the room. ‘Would you like more pasta?’
‘I’m good, thanks. It was delicious.’ She pushed her bowl away.
‘No problem.’ He covered the remaining pasta sauce and placed it in the fridge for Connor and Hugh to eat later if they were hungry. ‘What time’s your train?’
‘Not for a while yet.’ She checked her phone. ‘An hour or so.’
Having loaded the dishwasher, he topped up their wine glasses. ‘What would you like to do while you wait? We have board games in the drawing room, or a pool table in the games room.’
Her expression was still watchful. ‘Do you have photos?’
‘Photos?’
She nodded. ‘Photos of you and Connor and your life here. I’m intrigued. I like looking at family photos, they reveal a lot about a person. They fill in the gaps.’
His eyebrows lifted. ‘There are gaps?’
‘There are.’ She hopped off the stool. ‘And bring wine.’
With a shrug, he picked up the bottle and did as instructed. ‘Whatever you say.’
They made their way up to his room on the first floor. Embers still glowed from the fire he’d lit earlier and he added more kindling to boost the heat. The fire crackled and hissed as the flames caught hold.
‘The only hard-copy photos we have are kept in here,’ he said, heading over to the chest of drawers and searching through the piles of memorabilia Virginia insisted on keeping.
‘I don’t have any photos from my life in the US, and everything from the last ten years I have stored on my laptop, but there are photos here from when Connor was young. ’
Elena stood in front of the fireplace warming her hands. ‘Why don’t you have any photos from your childhood?’
‘It didn’t occur to me to take any with me when I left home. After my parents died, the house contents were sold as part of the estate. I’ve no idea what happened to any personal items. Maybe my aunt took them, I don’t know. She dealt with the estate sale.’
Elena looked confused. ‘You didn’t return home to deal with everything?’
‘There was no point. I wasn’t made executor or included in the will, so I had no jurisdiction over anything, it would’ve been pointless.
’ He found what he was looking for, an old photo album tucked at the back of the drawer.
‘Besides, I was a skint student who suddenly had a five-year-old kid to look after.’
‘Your parents didn’t include you in their will?’
‘Nope.’ He carried the album over to the couch facing the fireplace. ‘Everything was left in trust for Connor when he turns twenty-five.’
Elena joined him on the couch. ‘How do you feel about that?’
He thought about it. ‘I don’t know really.
We weren’t close, as you know. I think they cut me off in the hope it would make me conform, but I was never interested in their money, I only wanted love from them, and that was something they were incapable of giving.
’ He rubbed his temples. ‘Actually, that’s unfair.
I think they did love me, they just weren’t good at showing it.
They were advocates of the tough-love approach, which I guess works for some people, it just wasn’t right for me.
Who knows whether they would’ve changed their minds in time.
I don’t begrudge Connor, though. I’m glad for him. He deserves it.’
Elena curled her legs under her. ‘How did your parents die?’